Piano-playing mechanism and the like.



G. W. ATKINSON.

PIANO PLAYING MECHANISM AND THE LIKE.

Patented July 22, 1913.

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APPLICATION IILED JULY 29, 1911.

WITNESSES I a N Maw/MW wad/dam ATTY 0. W. ATKINSON.

PIANO PLAYING MECHANISM AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1911.

Patented July 22,1913.

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Patented July 22, 1913.

0. W. ATKINSON.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1911.

I 7 r///////d PIANO PLAYING MECHANISM AND THE LIKE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAUDE W. ATKINSON, OF LITTLE HAMPDEN, GREAT MISSENDEN, ENGLAND.

PIANO-PLAYIN G MECHANISM AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE lVILLIAM AT- KINSON, subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Little Hampden, Great- Missenden, in the county of Bucks, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Piano- Playing Mechanism and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to piano playing mechanism and the like particularly of the type described and illustrated in a sister application and has for its object the arrangement and construction of a vacuum chest of sheet metal of simple character and low cost which can be installed so as not to interfere with the knee room on an ordinary piano when in position as a part of a piano playing mechanism.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vacuum chest of stepped formation, and air trunks leading from the same to the orifices communicating with the playing table. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the end and front air trunks, showing the means of connection one to the other. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the front air trunk taken on the line 3-2-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a part side elevation of an end trunk, showing the socket on which the front air trunks are mounted. Fig. 5 shows a side view of one of the supporting devices within the stepped vacuum chamber, for supporting the walls of the same, and affording fastening means for the power pneumatics. Fig. 6 is a part front elevation of the two front air trunks, showing the connecting means by which communication is made with the playing table. Fig. 7 is a plan of the same. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of the key bed of an ordinary piano, showing a playing action ha ving my improved form of vacuum chest embodied therein.

To carry the invention into effect the vacuum chest (4 is made of sheet metal in two parts 5 and c, bent up in the particular form shown in the drawings so as to form horizontal walls or ledges (Z and e on the part Z) and walls or ledges (Z and e on the part 6 corresponding in vertical position with the ledges (Z and 6 respectively.

\Vithin the body of the vacuum chest at are arranged at intervals struts f adapted to support the part c wholly and to assist in supporting the ledges (Z and e of the portion 79. These struts further form a part of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 29, 1911.

Patented July 22, 1913. Serial No. 641,258.

the detachable means for holding the pneumatics in position.

Referring now to Fig. 1 the vacuum chest 64 is connected at its end with side trunks g, which at the front portion of the mechanism are connected to a long trunk 71 arranged from side to side and two short trunks i, which extend up to the front plate 7' to which the playing table is attached. This trunk it has a horizontal wall h at the top and a vertical wall if at the frontside which is in the same plane as the front wall 2' of the trunk 2'.

It will be not-iced that the trunks 7t and 2' are arranged so that the long axis of the section of one trunk is at right angles to the similar axis of the other trunk, in order to form a girder of great constructural rigidity on the one hand and a proper trans verse sectional area of passage on the other.

The air trunk connections is to an externally disposed playing table of any suitable construction such, for example, as that described in my U. S. Patent $51,000,359, are disposed on the front face of the combined trunks h and i, and in order to form a simple and effective connection between the trunks g and 7b and 2' I provide as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 a raised shoulder Z surrounding an orifice Z in the wall of the trunk g, over which shoulder the trunks h and z pass as a sleeve, the walls 7L1 and k of the trunk it being disposed along the sides Z and Z respectively of the shoulder Z. Blocks m are inserted and held in the trunks 7t and i into which screwed studs 12 provided with nuts 0 are inserted so as to draw the trunks h and 2' respectively, into close proximity to the trunks g.

Dished caps p are attached to the ends of the trunks g in order to close the same. The trunk it is divided at its central part by stop pieces 9 formed of a length of tube of rectangular section and of such a depth and length as to completely block up the said trunk when placed therein with its axis at right angles to the axis of the trunk (see Fig. 6) which not only divide the trunk into bass and treble sections but at the same time stiflens up the trunk walls locally so as to enable the riveted connections between the two trunks k and 2' to be made in a substantial manner.

The ends of the tracker pipes are inserted into rearwardly dished holes r (Fig. 8) stamped in the front perforated plate j to form a flange and are locked in position by being expanded into the holes formed by the flanged portion. This application is a division of applicants co-pending application #554346, filed April 9th, 1910.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent 1. In a piano playing mechanism of the type described, a vacuum chest of sheet metal consisting, in combination, of two main parts, one part I) forming the main body and having one horizontal lower wall, two upstanding vertical walls and two horizontal upper walls (Z and e in different planes and having depending flanges all formed in tegrally from one sheet of metal, and another part 0 independent of the first part 5 having two horizontal steps (Z and e corresponding in vertical disposition with the walls (Z and 6 respectively, each step having a depending flange and struts of skeleton structure arranged at intervals vertically along the length of the vacuum chest and between the parts I) and 0 and proportioned and positioned to support the said independ ent stepped part c in its proper relative position with the part b, substantially as described.

2. In a piano playing mechanism of the type described, the combination of a key bed of a piano, a vacuum chest arranged along the back of the underside of the key bed, lateral trunk pipes connected with the ends of the vacuum chest, front trunk pipes connected to the said lateral trunks, a play ing table externally disposed relative to the piano case and means of hollow connection between each front trunk pipe and the said playing table, substantially as described.

3. In a piano playing mechanism of the type described, the combination of a key bed of a piano, a vacuum chest arranged along the back of the underside of the key bed with two lateral trunk pipes connected with the ends of the vacuum chest, a compound front trunk pipe consisting of atransverse trunk pipe from one lateral trunk pipe to the other forming a girder, two subsidiary trunk pipes disposed under the transverse trunk pipe, a playing table externally disposed to the piano case and connecting means between the said compound trunk pipe and the said playing table, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLAUDE W. ATKINSON.

\Vitnesses CHARLES T. R. BULLOUGI-I, H. D. JAMIsoN.

Copies oi this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. G.

Commissioner of Patents, 

